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miriamglickman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
freedompages5's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
khepiari's review against another edition
5.0
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa the father of Japanese short stories, has been on my to be-read-list for years. This is an old translation, which has distilled down the stories to their literal translation instead of the 'transliteration' that present day readers look for.
How to make murder mystery frustratingly interesting? Throw in unreliable narrators and witnesses and watch it unfold, is how I found In a Grove. Though day by day I am getting critical about use of rape in story as plot device, I am glad the author didn't use rapist-robber's confession to describe his heinous crime.
The famous Rashomon that has been translated over a hundred times and adapted by famous Kurosawa, remains a compelling story no matter how distilled it gets. The thin line between violence, power and desperation always floats this story.
Yam Gruel, was a funny story with pinch of fantasy. But I don't think I got the entirety of the joke cracked by Akutagawa through this micro-retelling of a myth.
The Martyr, definitely was the most tragic and ironical story of all. The story of an orphan Lorenzo who lived by the words of Jesus and suffered like him. I didn't see the sad twist coming in the end, despite me reading same twists in manga and light novels over and over again!
Kesa and Morito, was interesting, the power dynamics between ex-lovers who are having extramarital affair was gripping. How far can lust last? What sustains love? Surprisingly hate and an honour bound promise to commit a murder does.
The Dragon was hilarious, I had read the orgin myth of the story before, but it was interesting retelling and I have seen its various adaptation on screen and other stories. But I still love stories because nothing has ever echoed the horrors of fake news then a story about a joke that got wild.
Overall it was a decent introduction to Akutagawa's narrative style which is definitely starkly different from Soseki's and far more absorbing and critical in terms of observations.
How to make murder mystery frustratingly interesting? Throw in unreliable narrators and witnesses and watch it unfold, is how I found In a Grove. Though day by day I am getting critical about use of rape in story as plot device, I am glad the author didn't use rapist-robber's confession to describe his heinous crime.
The famous Rashomon that has been translated over a hundred times and adapted by famous Kurosawa, remains a compelling story no matter how distilled it gets. The thin line between violence, power and desperation always floats this story.
Yam Gruel, was a funny story with pinch of fantasy. But I don't think I got the entirety of the joke cracked by Akutagawa through this micro-retelling of a myth.
The Martyr, definitely was the most tragic and ironical story of all. The story of an orphan Lorenzo who lived by the words of Jesus and suffered like him. I didn't see the sad twist coming in the end, despite me reading same twists in manga and light novels over and over again!
Kesa and Morito, was interesting, the power dynamics between ex-lovers who are having extramarital affair was gripping. How far can lust last? What sustains love? Surprisingly hate and an honour bound promise to commit a murder does.
The Dragon was hilarious, I had read the orgin myth of the story before, but it was interesting retelling and I have seen its various adaptation on screen and other stories. But I still love stories because nothing has ever echoed the horrors of fake news then a story about a joke that got wild.
Overall it was a decent introduction to Akutagawa's narrative style which is definitely starkly different from Soseki's and far more absorbing and critical in terms of observations.
katti20's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't expect anything when I started this, but I was absolutely delighted with the stories. Some I like more than others of course, though the way these stories were portrayed and the emotions described were wonderful.
marianan's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nnooo's review against another edition
4.0
In a Grove
Rashomon
Yam Gruel
The Martyr
Kesa and Morito
The Dragon
Rashomon
Yam Gruel
The Martyr
Kesa and Morito
The Dragon
b_caligari's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jessicawang's review against another edition
I picked this book up at the Strand’s Central Park location on a whim, because I’ve seen Akira Kurasawa’s 1950 film Rashomon. This book is a collection of 6 short stories, between 8 – 15 pages long each. I really loved the writing style (but can never tell how much is attributable to the translator versus the writer) and the stories were all incredibly human, magical, and touching. Fun fact: the film was actually based on a combination of two of the short stories in this collection: In a Grove and Rashomon.
jameseckman's review against another edition
3.0
Seven character sketches that expose the baser aspects of people. I know I read this back in my RPG days, the Rasho gate was always good for some action in my Bushido games.